New Jersey Abolishes Death Penalty

AFP: A decommissioned electric chair
Newark Star-Ledger: Assembly OKs measure to end N.J. executions

After more than two hours of emotional debate about justice and retribution, the Assembly yesterday gave final approval to a bill to abolish New Jersey's death penalty, sending the measure to the desk of a governor who is eager to sign it into law.

The lawmakers voted 44-36 to replace the state's never-used death penalty with life in prison without parole. The Senate passed the bill Monday. Gov. Jon Corzine said yesterday he expects to sign it in a matter of days, making New Jersey the first state to repeal its capital punishment law in more than 30 years.

Interestingly, all the non-US papers that cover this story illustrate it with a picture of some method of execution.

ITN (uk)

BBC News

EuroNews, France

AFP

The US papers just have pictures of the Assembly, or Governor Corzine.

Get Well Soon, Jon Corzine

Jon Corzine was in a bad car accident last night, while he was on the way to monitor the meeting between Don Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team.

Post-Chronicle: Gov. Jon Corzine "Critical", May Be Months Before He Walks Again

Jon Corzine was a very visible supporter of the Rutgers women's basketball team long before the Imus remarks. He was courtside at several of their games, in his red Rutgers hat. It sounds much worse than what was originally reported, that he had a broken leg; now they're talking about three to six months to walk normally.

NYTimes: New Jersey Governor Is Injured in Car Crash

myfoxny.com: Surgeon Talks About Corzine's Operation